The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts mourns the passing of Daniel Dawson Miller III, Professor Emeritus of Printmaking, who died on August 3, 2026, at the age of 98.

Dan’s relationship with PAFA spanned nearly seven decades. After receiving his MFA in painting from the University of Pennsylvania in 1958, he enrolled at PAFA and earned his Certificate in 1959. He returned to the Academy as a faculty member in 1964 and taught art history, painting, and printmaking for 62 years. Named Professor Emeritus in 2025, Dan continued teaching and working with students through the age of 97.

Dan Miller at the Peale House Gallery Exhibition: Walter Anderson, 1985. From pafaarchives.org.

Black and white photograph of crits in progress with Dan Miller, 1999. From pafaarchives.org.

Throughout his remarkable tenure, Dan helped shape the artistic and academic life of PAFA. He served in numerous leadership roles, including Dean of Faculty, Acting Dean of the School, Chair of the Painting Department, and Chair of the MFA Program. Yet his most enduring contribution may be found in the countless students whose lives and practices were transformed by his teaching, intellectual curiosity, humor, generosity, and unwavering commitment to the daily work of being an artist.

A celebrated printmaker and sculptor, Dan presented more than 70 solo exhibitions during his career. His work is held in public and private collections, including those of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Princeton University Library, and Rutgers University. He was the recipient of the PAFA Dean’s Award and the Percy M. Owens Memorial Award.

Dan maintained studios at his homes in Christiana, Pennsylvania, and Corea, Maine, where he worked in printmaking and woodblock sculpture. His discovery of the woodcut during visits to Japan while serving in the United States Army became central to his artistic practice. He valued the medium for its directness, expressive power, and ability to convey the humanity he found in faces, figures, and landscapes.

Dan Miller embodied the artist-teacher tradition at the heart of PAFA. His extraordinary discipline, deep knowledge, distinctive voice, and devotion to art and education became part of the fabric of this institution. His influence will continue through his work, through the programs he helped lead, and through generations of artists who had the privilege of learning from him.

PAFA extends its deepest condolences to Dan’s children, grandchildren, family, friends, colleagues, and former students. We remember him with profound gratitude and affection.

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